How to Live Like Socrates

Learn how to develop self-awareness and emotional resilience, with my new 4 week intro to Socrates and philosophy as a way of life.

The coupon code you entered is expired or invalid, but the course is still available!

This course has now started but you can enroll if you want to complete at your own pace. If you want to learn how to approach life like Socrates, this is the course for you.
Join me as we apply modern psychological methods and Socratic wisdom to problems of everyday living. We'll be exploring Socrates' life and philosophy as guides to self-improvement, drawing on elements of cognitive-behavioural psychology to help us make use of his ideas.
And relax, it's risk free: you have 30 day money-back satisfaction guarantee.*

Who is this course for? Anyone who's interested in Socrates or Greek philosophy. If you're a complete newcomer this course will provide the perfect introduction to Socratic philosophy. Even if you've read a lot of books on philosophy, though, you'll still benefit from these new resources and by exploring a fresh perspective on the subject. The benefits you'll obtain are a deeper understanding of Socrates and how to apply his philosophical method in your own life to emotional challenges such as coping with desire, anger, fear, and loss. The Socratic Method can also help you develop a greater sense of meaning and fulfilment in life.

Enrollment: This course has started. You can still enroll if you want to complete at your own pace, though.

Price: Click enroll button for full details on the checkout page. You'll have lifetime access to all future updates and additions to the course. You also have the option for a payment plan consisting of three monthly instalments.

(NB: All prices are in $ USD unless otherwise stated; the law requires VAT to be added for users based in the EU.)

Start Date: Sunday 21st October 2018. You'll have immediate access to all the videos and other material in the Welcome section on enrollment and then the four main sections of the course will be released week by week, accompanied by live webinars (see below for details).

Duration: Four weeks. The core content requires about fifteen hours to complete on average, spread over a preliminary welcome period plus four weeks. However, there are also many hours of additional optional content included. NB: You also have the option, though, of completing this course self-paced, working through the content in your own time and watching recordings of the webinars.

Bonus: You'll receive a free e-book, The Life and Opinions of Socrates by Diogenes Laertius, which we've carefully edited and designed for use on all devices. This comes in EPUB, Kindle (MOBI) and PDF file formats. I've also included my free Crash Course on Socrates and Socrates HD Wallpapers, containing quotes for your desktop, in the bundle.

Hello and thanks for taking an interest in my course,

I'm really looking forward to begin diving into this subject once again... I've been studying the life and philosophy of Socrates for nearly thirty years. I drew upon it as an inspiration in my work as a cognitive-behavioural therapist and trainer of other therapists. For Socrates, philosophy wasn't an abstract discipline. It's not just something you do in a library or lecture theatre. Philosophy, for Socrates, was a way of life. Experience led me to the conclusion that the best way to teach this was by looking at specific anecdotes from Socrates' own life, as a way to illustrate his philosophy.

Fortunately, many stories about Socrates come down to us from in the surviving ancient texts. That's because these were considered important for many centuries, during which Socrates was considered an important role model to other philosophers. In many cases we can learn not just what it means to be a philosopher from his example, and interesting ideas or ways of looking at life, but also specific psychological techniques, not unlike those used today to help people cope with stress and build emotional resilience.

I know from experience that students find this way of approaching Socrates' philosophy, through anecdotes about his life, both practical and engaging. So I'm looking forward to meeting you on the course and please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

Warm regards,

Course Content

This course consists of many audio and video recordings, psychological exercises, excerpts for discussion, special infographics created by our graphic designer Rocio de Torres, written articles, group discussion questions, and short interactive knowledge check questions to aid learning and retention. It's crammed full of resources that I simply wouldn't be able to put into a book. Each week focuses on a different set of core philosophical concepts, psychological exercises, and a particular problem area. The whole course is structured around the four cardinal virtues of Socratic philosophy: wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation.

Welcome: Before we Even Begin

This becomes available as soon as you enrol and contains carefully selected preparatory materials to help you get up to speed and prepare for the main four weeks. Includes: videos, quotes from Socrates, recommended reading, discussion questions, knowledge-check quiz, plus bonus materials.

Week One: Wisdom and the Socratic Method

This section focuses on the story of the Socratic Method (elenchus), how it was developed and used by Socrates. It uses illustrations from the life of Socrates, such as the influence of his father and mother's professions. It explores what the virtue of wisdom means in the Socratic dialogues. Includes: Videos, reading, discussion, knowledge-check quiz, weekly webinar, plus bonus material.

Week Two: Moderation and Philosophy as a Way of Life

This section focuses on the concept of philosophy as a way of life, and what, for Socrates, it meant to be a philosopher. It uses illustrations from the life of Socrates, such as his military service and attitudes toward diet and exercise as illustrations. It explores what the virtue of moderation means in the Socratic dialogues. Includes: Videos, reading, discussion, knowledge-check quiz, and weekly webinar plus bonus material.

Week Three: Justice and Friendship

This section focuses on the social and interpersonal aspect of Socrates' philosophy, particularly his views on justice and friendship. It uses illustrations from the his life, such as how he coped with political turmoil in Athens, both under the democratic regime and the Thirty Tyrants. It explores what the virtue of justice means in the Socratic dialogues. Includes: Videos, reading, discussion, knowledge-check quiz, and weekly webinar plus bonus material.

Week Four: Courage and Death

This section focuses on Socrates' famed composure and bravery. It uses illustrations from his life such as the events of his trial and execution as illustrations. It explores what the virtue of courage means in the Socratic dialogues. Includes: Videos, reading, discussion, knowledge-check quiz, and weekly webinar plus bonus material.

* Terms & Conditions. By enrolling on this course, you give us permission to send you our email newsletter with information on Stoicism and related subjects. You can opt-out at any time, if you want, by hitting the unsubscribe link. Satisfaction guarantee period covers 30 days from date on which course was purchased.

To really get a deeper perspective on how to live life with true vigor and taste it’s fullness, it is necessary to embrace, embody and savor the life and times of Socrates. This course has left no stone unturned as it presents the depth and magnitude along with the magnificence – in exploring Socrates and his place in human history. The pilot light has been lit inside of me... – Melville Richard Alexander

One of the great things about Donald Robertson's courses is that they never end. They are available to us forever (or at least as long as Donald is able to keep them posted). As with "How to think like a Roman emperor" I will be going back to this course when the spirit moves me. Each time I will discover something new. In the process of learning more about Socrates I learned more about me. Would I recommend this course? Yes, without hesitation. If you find it a bit much to "complete" in four weeks (I did) don't worry. The material is there and the instructor is wonderfully accessible. – Wilfred Allan

Donald Robertson's course has greatly increased my knowledge of the renowned ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates is such a central figure in Hellenistic Philosophy that understanding him is essential to knowing about the entire field. Robertson's course has great depth, with multiple videos, texts to read, ponder, and discuss, weekly webinars, and enough background and optional material to further add to my knowledge and provide material that I plan to reread and explore. Very well done! – Marc Deshaies

I really enjoyed the course. I have been a fan of Socrates ever since I learnt about him years ago, but I know now that I was really ignorant about him and have lots to learn still. This is a great start. I look forward to more. Thank you Donald! – Pauline Enright

Your Instructor

Donald Robertson

Donald is a trainer and writer, with over twenty years’ experience. He’s a specialist in teaching evidence-based psychological skills, and known as an expert on the relationship between modern cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and and classical Greek and Roman philosophy. He was born in Scotland but worked as a psychotherapist for many years in London, England, where he ran a training school for therapists, before emigrating to Canada to focus on his writing and developing e-learning courses.

Donald is the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy, as well as having contributed chapters to four other book and published many articles in journals and magazines. His new book How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius is currently available for pre-order and due out in January 2019. You can contact him via his website.

I highly recommend this course. Reading Socrates without the biographical and historical background made me wonder what of significant value he was. Now knowing about his military, political,and social interactions gave me greater respect for him and the classical philosophy heritage. Demystifying the Socratic dialogues was very helpful. – Michael Schepak

I've really enjoyed this course, thanks for putting it together, and I've really enjoyed being able to move through it at my own pace looping back to the challenging exercises, putting it down when other commitments took more or my time and picking it up again when I could. I'd recommend it, no question. – Steve Powell

Courses Included with Purchase

Crash Course on Socrates

Your free 15 min. introduction to the life and philosophy of Socrates, with new comic strip

Donald Robertson

FREE

The Life and Opinions of Socrates

E-book containing excerpts from Diogenes Laertius

Donald Robertson

FREE

Socrates HD Wallpapers

Designed by Rocio de Torres

Donald Robertson

FREE

Original Price: $0

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the course start and finish? Can I complete it at my own pace?

The course start and end dates are shown above. It's four weeks long and will begin on the date specified. However, you'll also be able to complete it as self-paced if you wish,. You'll benefit from lifetime access to the course content, including all updates, and recordings of all live webinars will be available to replay in your own time.

How long do I have access to the course?

How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. That's for as long as the course actually exists. You'll also benefit from updates to the contents.

What if I am unhappy with the course?

We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with the course, contact us by email within 30 days of your purchase and we will give you a full refund.

Who is this course aimed at?

Anyone with an interest in Socratic philosophy and its relevance to our way of life. If you're new to philosophy you'll learn about the basics but if you've already read some books about it we're confident you'll learn some new things and have a chance to approach the subject from a fresh perspective.

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How to Live Like Socrates
Coupon Discount

Standard Version

This is the standard version of the course, including e-learning and weekly webinars. If you enroll now you'll benefit from any future improvements, as you'll be entitled to lifetime access to the materials, including any updates. This is the version we'd recommend as even if you're unable to attend the live webinars, you'll have access to recordings of them to replay later. All prices in $ USD unless otherwise stated.

$199

Payment Plan: How to Live Like Socrates
Coupon Discount

Split over three monthly installments

This splits payments into three equal instalments. The total works out about 5% higher than for purchase by a single payment.